40 ft high cube
40 ft high cube container calculator
Thirty centimetres more headroom, and what it buys you. Internal dimensions for the high cube, how it compares with the standard 40 ft, and a 3D plan for your cargo — the planner below opens on a 40 ft HC.
Complete basic estimates are free. Preview mixed loads in 3D; full custom plans unlock with a $9 pack.
Free carton fit calculator
One carton size, one empty rectangular space. Enter the inside dimensions and get a calculated carton count, layer drawing and volume use immediately.
Complete basic results. No account or card needed.
Estimated cartons in one space
110 cartons per layer × 6 layers = 660 cartons
Space estimate: payload has not been checked. Add your available cargo allowance to apply a weight limit.
- Cartons per complete layer
- 110
- Layers used
- 6
- Volume use
- 82.98%
- Carton volume
- 63.36 m³
- Cargo weight
- 6600 kg
- Loaded height
- 240 cm
The original carton height is vertical (40 cm). Amber cartons turn 90° on the floor. Higher layers repeat this orientation and pattern; a payload-limited final layer can be incomplete.
Loads for your order — feasible geometric estimate
1
Loading spaces needed for 100 cartons: 1. The drawing and cargo measurements above show one space at capacity, not the whole order.
Volume/payload lower bound: 1. This is only a necessary bound; it is not a demonstrated packing plan or a promise of the minimum number of loads.
40 ft high cube: ACL. Dimensions are a published equipment example, not a universal fleet specification. Confirm your actual interior and cargo allowance.
Compare the same cartons in another space
Each row uses the carton size, orientation, order and payload allowance entered above. Only internal dimensions change. Confirm the allowance separately for each equipment type.
| Loading space | Cartons per load | Volume use | Loads for order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft dry container | 255 | 73.74% | 1 |
| 40 ft dry container | 550 | 77.9% | 1 |
| 40 ft high cube | 660 | 82.98% | 1 |
How the carton estimate works
- Find a layer that fits. Compare both horizontal rotations and mixed layouts with a single dividing line. With all orientations allowed, repeat this check for each choice of vertical carton dimension.
- Repeat the layer within the height. Divide internal height by carton height in the selected orientation and round down. The method keeps one vertical orientation and repeats the same layer; it does not prove the best possible 3D packing.
- Apply payload and count the loads. If a payload is entered, divide it by carton weight and round down. Use the smaller of the space count and weight count. Divide the order by this capacity and round up for a repeatable geometric estimate.
What the estimate leaves to check
This is one rectangular carton size in an empty rectangular interior. It does not check door entry, wheel arches, packing gaps, pallets, carton crush strength, stacking stability, load restraint, unloading order or axle loads. Interior fit alone does not establish a practical loading plan. Check the actual shipment and equipment before loading.
Read the loading-order guideDifferent cartons or handling rules?
The separate 3D planner handles mixed loads and additional constraints. Explore examples and preview your own load free; full custom 3D results start with a $9 pack.
The short answer
25 euro pallets or 21 industrial on the floor. 76 m³, 2.69 m high, about 26.5 tonnes.
Single tier, no overhang. Same floor as a standard 40 ft.
The high cube has the same floor as a standard 40 ft, so the pallet count does not change; what changes is the roof. 2.69 m of internal height is what makes a second tier of 1.3 m pallets fit, or lets tall cartons stand instead of lying, or takes a 2.5 m machine that a standard box refuses at the door. It is now the most common 40 ft in circulation, so planning for it is rarely a special request.
High cube dimensions, and the boxes around it
The 40 ft high cube against the standard 40 ft it replaces, the pallet-wide variant, the 45 ft high cube above it and the reefer high cube.
| Container | Internal L × W × H | Pallets, one tier (euro · industrial) | Payload · volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 ft high cube | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m | 25 · 21 | ~26,500 kg · 76 m³ |
| 40 ft pallet-wide high cube | 12.10 × 2.44 × 2.69 m | 30 · 24 | ~26,000 kg · 79 m³ |
| 40 ft standard, for comparison | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | 25 · 21 | ~26,700 kg · 68 m³ |
| 45 ft high cube | 13.56 × 2.35 × 2.69 m | 27 · 24 | ~25,700 kg · 86 m³ |
| 40 ft high cube reefer | 11.56 × 2.29 × 2.55 m | 23 · 20 | ~29,000 kg · 67 m³ |
Nominal figures. The high cube door is about 2.34 m wide and 2.58 m high — 30 cm taller than a standard door, which is often the real gain. Measure the allocated box before planning to the centimetre.
Pack a 40 ft high cube
The planner is already set to a 40 ft high cube. Enter your cartons or pallets — or describe the shipment — and it places every piece, reports the fill, and says what did not fit.
The full planner handles mixed sizes and additional handling rules. Explore complete examples and preview your cargo free; full custom 3D plans unlock with a $9 pack.
What changes the answer
Four reasons the extra height does, or does not, turn into extra cargo.
- Usable height, not internal height
- The internal figure is measured to the roof. Curtain sliders, roof bows and the deck of a mega trailer all take some of it, and a pallet that clears on paper by two centimetres does not clear in practice.
- Volume is not capacity
- 68 m³ of box holds far less than 68 m³ of cartons. Rows that do not divide the width evenly, the gap above the top tier and odd sizes at the end take 10–25% on a good day. The fill percentage the planner reports is the honest figure.
- What may sit on what
- Double-stacking doubles a count only if the lower tier can carry the upper one and the total clears the roof. Fragile, non-tiltable and crush-limited items break that arithmetic, and they are the norm rather than the exception.
- The door, not the box
- A standard container door is about 2.34 m wide and 2.28 m high — narrower and lower than the 2.35 × 2.39 m inside. Anything that fits the box but not the opening does not go in, and a high cube's taller door is often its real advantage.
Questions
How many pallets fit in a 40 ft high cube?
The same 25 euro or 21 industrial pallets as a standard 40 ft on a single tier — the high cube adds height, not floor. The extra 30 cm is what lets a second tier fit when the pallets are 1.3 m or lower.
What are the internal dimensions of a 40 ft high cube?
About 12.03 m long, 2.35 m wide and 2.69 m high: 76 m³, against 68 for a standard 40 ft.
Is a high cube worth it for pallets that do not stack?
Usually not. If nothing goes on top of the first tier, the extra height is empty air; a standard 40 ft carries the same floor and is often cheaper. The high cube earns its keep with stackable cargo or tall single pieces.
Can a high cube go anywhere a standard container goes?
Almost. It is 2.90 m tall outside against 2.59 m, which matters on low bridges, in some warehouses and on chassis with limited clearance. Ports and rail handle them routinely.